Martin Scorsese Confirms That Silence Will Be His Next Project

It's typically not until after a filmmaker finishes his/her project that he/she begins getting asked about what his/her follow up will be, but in the case of Martin Scorsese that's been a subject of controversy and debate for months. Though Hugo only came out two weeks ago, many have questioned what the Oscar winning director's next movie would be. A big part of what has fueled speculation is the simple fact that Scorsese actually has a lot of titles on his slate. Most recently there was a report that he would direct an adaptation of Jo Nesbo's The Snowman, but there's also been talks of him remaking The Gambler, and reuniting with Robert De Niro for a mob thriller called The Irishman. Then there's Silence. Based on the novel by Shusako Endo, Scorsese has been developing the project for years, but has always skipped over it in favor of another project. That changes now.

The legendary director was recently a guest star on Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode’s Radio Five show (via Bleeding Cool) and he announced that Silence will be the next movie he tackles. Seemingly hesitant at first, Scorsese first said that he was hoping to make the Endo adaptation his next project, but then fully committed to it. Not hoping, we’re literally pulling all the elements together at this point," Scorsese said. Casting, however, may be a little more complicated than you may think. For years the project has had Benicio Del Toro and Daniel Day-Lewis attached to star, but he may not be able to reunite with his Gangs of New York villain due to scheduling issues. Asked if he would be working with Day-Lewis again, Scorsese responded, "I’m not sure. Daniel’s working with Steve right now, Steve Spielberg."

For those unfamiliar with the story, the book is set in 17th century Japan, where two Jesuit priests face persecution as they spread their gospel and search for their mentor. According to IMDb, Jay Cocks (who also scripted Gangs of New York) wrote the screenplay, but it's hard to know how long that information has been around and/or if something has changed. When you consider how long Scorsese has been talking about the film - we're talking 2006 here - it must be something he's passionate about doing.